Monday, January 05, 2009

If you think that you have seen all the lesbian interest films available and that there is not much else to watch, think again and take a look at this list of non-traditional lesbian themed any length films. Most I have not seen them and all have something in common: women direct all.

Age 12A film by Jennifer Montgomery, 1990, 22 min., ColorUnforgettable in its vivid construction of lesbian identity, AGE 12 is a riveting amalgam of forbidden desire, transgression and piercing self-recogni...

B.D. WomenA film by Inge Blackman, 1994, 20 min., ColorB.D. WOMEN is a wonderful celebration of the history and culture of Black lesbians. Lively interviews feature Black women talking candidly about thei...

The Basement GirlA film by Midi Onodera, 2000, 12 min., ColorAbandoned by her lover, a young woman finds comfort and safety in her basement apartment. Mundane routines, a diet of junk food and the warmth of the...

Between the Lines:A film by Yunah Hong, 2001, 60 min., ColorBETWEEN THE LINES offers rare interviews with over 15 major Asian-Pacific American women poets. Organized in interwoven sections such as Immigration, ...

Beyond ImaginingA film by Wendy Weinberg, 1991, 30 min., ColorBold literary visionary Margaret Anderson founded the journal Little Review in 1914, an overlooked but profound influence on American literature. Ande...

Black SheepA film by Louise Glover and Chili Films, 1999, 26 min., ColorLou Glover grew up in New South Wales repeating the same homophobic and racist taunts she heard around her. Though she was raised in a white family, s...

Blind Spot: Murder by WomenA film by Irving Saraf, Allie Light and Julia Hilder, 2000, 87 min., ColorBecause murder by women is still relatively rare--only one out of eight murders in the United States is committed by a woman--women's own stories prov...

The Body of a PoetA film by Sonali Fernando, 1995, 29 min., ColorAn imaginary biopic, THE BODY OF A POET centers on the efforts of a group of young lesbians of color to devise a fitting tribute to one of this centu...

A Boy Named SueA film by Julie Wyman, 2000, 56 min., ColorJulie Wyman's compelling documentary chronicles the transformation of a transsexual named Theo from a woman to a man over the course of six years. The...

Brincando El CharcoA film by Frances Negrón-Muntaner, 1994, 55 min., Color/BWRefreshingly sophisticated in both form and content, BRINCANDO EL CHARCO contemplates the notion of “identity” through the experiences of a Puerto Ric...

Came Out, It Rained, Went Back In AgainA film by Betsan Evans Morris, 1991, 10 min., Color/BWA delightful short drama,CAME OUT, IT RAINED, WENT BACK IN AGAIN explores the perils of “coming out” as it follows the day in the life of one young gi...

Cancer in Two VoicesA film by Lucy Massie Phenix based on original films by Ann Hershey, 1994, 43 min., Color“I’m the first among our friends to have cancer... Many will see their future in the way I handle mine,” Barbara Rosenblum wrote after learning she ha...

Can't You Take a Joke?A film by Viki Dun, 1989, 26 min., BWCan you fall in love and still have a sense of humor? This delightful, stylish comedy, in which boy meets boy and girl meets girl, uses the romantic m...

Children of the CrocodileA film by Marsha Emerman, 2001, 52 min., ColorThis documentary tells the story of two young Timorese-Australian activists – one a high profile human rights worker, the other a performance artist a...

CloserDirected by Tina Gharavi, 2000, 24 min., ColorAn experimental documentary which has at its heart a poignant character study of a 17 year-old lesbian living in Newcastle, England, CLOSER innovative...

Complaints of a Dutiful DaughterA film by Deborah Hoffmann, 1994, 44 min., ColorWith profound insight and a healthy dose of levity, COMPLAINTS OF A DUTIFUL DAUGHTER chronicles the various stages of a mother's Alzheimer's Disease a...

Daughter of SuicideA film by Dempsey Rice, 1999, 72 min., Color"My mother's suicide is the single most defining event in my life. It's like there's before and there's after and everything is different after." Dem...

Double the Trouble, Twice the FunA film by Pratibha Parmar, 1992, 25 min., ColorA rare and lively examination of disability and homosexuality as it affects both women and men, DOUBLE THE TROUBLE, TWICE THE FUN, advocates for accep...

Dream GirlsA film by Kim Longinotto and Jano Williams, 1993, 50 min., ColorThis fascinating documentary, produced for the BBC, opens a door into the spectacular world of the Takarazuka Revue, a highly successful musical theat...

Dry Kisses OnlyA film by Jane Cottis and Kaucyila Brooke, 1990, 75 min., ColorThrough manipulated film clips, the hilarious commentary of Theory Woman and interviews with the Lesbian on the Street, this marvelous videotape explo...

Dry Kisses Only/War on LesbiansTwo films by Jane Cotis and Kaucyila Brooke, 1992, 100 min., 2 in series, ColorThrough manipulaed film clips, the hilarious commentary of Theory Woman and interviews with the Lesbian on the Street, DRY KISSES ONLY (1990, 75 mins....

The Edge of Each Other's BattlesA film by Jennifer Abod, 2002, 59 min., ColorThis powerful documentary is a moving tribute to legendary black lesbian feminist poet Audre Lorde (1934-1992). One of the most celebrated icons of f...

Emily and GittaA film by Tami Gold, 1996, 30 min., ColorMemories of the Holocaust are interlaced with a contemporary love story in this arresting short drama in which history and inescapable repercussions f...

The Films of Barbara HammerThree films by Barbara Hammer, 42 min.Four classic celebrations of the female body and spirit. DYKETACTICS is a celebration of lesbian sensuality and sexuality; DOUBLE STRENGTH is an expe...

Flaming EarsA film by Angela Hans Scheirl, Ursula Pürrer, and Dietmar Schipek, 1991, 84 min., ColorFLAMING EARS is a pop sci-fi lesbian fantasy feature set in the year 2700 in the fictive burned-out city of Asche. It follows the tangled lives of th...

Flesh and PaperA film by Pratibha Parmar, 1990, 26 min., ColorFLESH AND PAPER is a lyrical exploration of the sense and sensibilities of Indian lesbian poet and writer, Suniti Bamjoshi. This moving and powerful ...

Gaea GirlsA film by Kim Longinotto and Jano Williams, 2000, 106 min., Color"This fascinating film follows the physically grueling and mentally exhausting training regimen of several young wanna-be GAEA GIRLS, a group of Japan...

Golden ThreadsA film by Lucy Winer and Karen Eaton, 1999, 56 min., ColorProfiling the life of 93 year old lesbian activist Christine Burton, founder of a global networking service for mid-life and elder lesbians this docum...

Greetings from Washington DCA film by Rob Epstein, Frances Reid, Greta Schiller and Lucy Winer, 1981, 28 min.A kaleidoscope of music, dance, stories and laughter shared at the first gay and lesbian rights march on Washington....

Hammering It OutA film by Vivian Price, 2000, 54 min., Color“This spirited documentary spotlights the experience of women in the building trades, specifically those women involved in the Century Freeway Women's...

Home AvenueA film by Jennifer Montgomery, 1989, 17 min., ColorWith commanding cinematic style, Montgomery retraces events of a night nine years ago when, between her boyfriend's dorm and her parent's house, she w...

Honored by the MoonA film by Mona Smith, 1990, 15 min., ColorIn this upbeat and empowering videotape, Native American lesbians and gay men speak of their unique historical and spiritual role. Within the Native A...

The Image of Dorian Gray in the Yellow PressA film by Ulrike Ottinger, 1984, 150 min., Color"In the poses of the dandy and the manufactured excesses of the tabloid press, Ottinger finds connections between our 'fin de siecle' moment and the l...

In My Father's ChurchA film by Charissa King-O'Brien, 2004, 49 min., Color/BWCharissa is a lesbian who wants a church wedding, but it doesn’t seem to help that her dad is the pastor of the town’s United Methodist Church. While ...

In Sickness and In HealthA film by Pilar Prassas, Edited by Peter Heacock, 2007, 56 min., Color“In typical marriage vows, 'til death do us part' is the phrase that follows 'in sickness and in heath.' But to many gay and lesbian Americans, saying...

In the Best Interests of the ChildrenA film by Frances Reid, Elizabeth Stevens and Cathy Zheutlin, 1977, 53 min.This groundbreaking film on lesbian mothering portrays the diversity of experience, race and class among eight lesbian mothers and their children....

Jodie: An IconA film by Pratibha Parmar, 1996, 24 min., ColorJodie is a fast paced, breezy look at the transatlantic phenomenon that has made Hollywood actress Jodie Foster an icon for lesbians who identify with...

Keep Not Silent - Ortho-DykesA film by Ilil Alexander, 2004, 52 min., ColorWinner of the Israeli Oscar for Best Documentary, as well as eight international awards, Ilil Alexander’s stunning debut film boldly documents the cla...

KhushA film by Pratibha Parmar, 1991, 24 min., ColorKHUSH means ecstatic pleasure in Urdu. For South Asian lesbians and gay men in Britain, North America, and India (where homosexuality is still illegal...

A Knock OutA film by Tessa Boerman and Samuel Reiziger, 2004, 53 min., ColorBoxing champion Michele Aboro grew up in South London, where life for a girl was never easy, let alone for a mixed-race lesbian girl. Thanks to her te...

L Is For The Way You LookA film by Jean Carlomusto, 1991, 24 min., ColorL IS FOR THE WAY YOU LOOK is a playful exploration of lesbian history and the women who have served as role models and objects of desire for young les...

The Lost TribeA film by Rachel Landers, 2005, 56 min., ColorWhile ex-Mormon-lesbian-atheist Sue-Ann Post has carved out a name for herself as a stand-up comic in Australia, she has been estranged from her famil...

Madame X: An Absolute RulerA film by Ulrike Ottinger, 1977, 141 min., Color"Ulrike Ottinger has a larger body of work than almost any other lesbian filmmaker, and her rarely seen first feature contains most of the elements th...

Meeting of Two QueensA film by Cecilia Barriga, 1991, 14 min., ColorIn this witty, luminous tape Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich star in the roles of their lives—cast as lovers by Chilean video artist Barriga. Queen C...

My Left BreastA film by Gerry Rogers, 2000, 57 min., Color“Every once in a while someone comes up with a film that sends us a clear signal that it's time to re-evaluate our lives. The film MY LEFT BREAST is n...

My Sister, My BrideA film by Bonnie Burt, 2004, 26 min., ColorAs the issue of gay marriage grips the country, this touching documentary follows the heartwarming and historic journey of two Jewish lesbians as they...

Nu Shu: A Hidden Language of Women in ChinaA film by Yue-Qing Yang, 1999, 59 min., ColorIn feudal China, women, usually with bound feet, were denied educational opportunities and condemned to social isolation. But in Jian-yong county in ...

Out In South AfricaA film by Barbara Hammer, 1995, 51 min., ColorIn 1994, Barbara Hammer was invited to South Africa to present a retrospective of her 77 films and videos at OUT IN SOUTH AFRICA, the first gay and le...

OutlawA film by Alisa Lebow, 1994, 26 min., ColorLeslie Feinberg, a self-identified "gender outlaw" who has spent much of her life passing as a man, speaks with passion and intelligence about her exp...

Sabor a MiA film by Claudia Morgado Escanilla, 1997, 20 min., ColorClaudia Morgado Escanilla's SABOR A MI is an erotic short drama about sensual yearnings, the guilty pleasures of watching, and the secret complicity o...

Sari RedA film by Pratibha Parmar, 1988, 12 min., ColorMade in memory of Kalbinder Kaur Hayre, a young Indian woman killed in 1985 in a racist attack in England, SARI RED eloquently examines the effect of ...

Seventeen RoomsA film by Caroline Sheldon, 1985, 9 min.Britain’s Channel 4 refused to broadcast this piece because of its subtitle: WHAT DO LESBIANS DO IN BED? The tape looks into seventeen bedrooms to ch...

Sex and the SandinistasA film by Lucinda Broadbent, 1991, 25 min., ColorNicaragua is known for the Sandinista Revolution, an inspiring struggle for national liberation. What has never been told before is the story of how ...

Sex Fish/Sex Bowl Collectionfilms by Shu Lea Cheang, 1994, 13 min., 4 in series, ColorFrom the E.T. Baby Maniac production collective come four of the smartest and sexiest videos to emerge in a long time. SEX FISH is a furious montage ...

Shinjuku BoysA film by Kim Longinotto and Jano Williams, 1995, 53 min., ColorFrom the makers of DREAM GIRLS, SHINJUKU BOYS introduces three onnabes who work as hosts at the New Marilyn Club in Tokyo. Annabes are women who live...

Sir: Just a Normal GuyA film by Melanie La Rosa, 2001, 57 min., ColorScreened to acclaim at Gay & Lesbian Film Festivals worldwide and LBGT events across the nation, this candid and courageous portrait of more than 15-m...

Some Ground To Stand OnA film by Joyce WarshowCo-produced and edited by Janet Baus, 1998, 35 min., ColorThis compelling documentary tells the life story of Blue Lunden, a working class lesbian activist whose odyssey of personal transformation parallels l...

Some Real HeatA film by Stefanie Jordan, 2001, 54 min., ColorSOME REAL HEAT explores the small and relatively new world of female firefighters in San Francisco and their upward climb to gain access to a male-dom...

Sphinxes Without SecretsA film by Maria Beatty, 1991, 58 min., ColorSince its inception, performance art provided a forum for those artists whose work challenges the dominant aesthetic and cultural status quo. In SPHIN...

StigmataA film by Leslie Asako Gladsjø, 1991, 27 min., ColorSTIGMATA is a riveting look at body modification such as tattooing, cutting, piercing and branding, practices which are becoming increasingly popular ...

StormeA film by Michelle Parkerson, 1987, 21 min., Color“It ain’t easy…being green” is the favorite expression of Storme DeLarverie, a woman whose life flouted prescriptions of gender and race. During the ...

SusanaA film by Susana Muñoz, 1980, 25 min., BWIn this autobiographical portrait, Susana leaves her native Argentina to live her life outside the strictures of Latin American cultural and family pr...

Sync TouchA film by Barbara HammerIn SYNC TOUCH, lesbian images are juxtaposed with common cliches, providing an ironic and humorous inquiry into the nature of the lesbian aesthetic....

Ten Cents a Dance (Parallax)A film by Midi Onodera, 1986, 30 min., ColorOnodera's three-part reflection on contemporary sexuality and communication uses a split screen device with a new twist. In the first segment, two wom...

Tender FictionsA film by Barbara Hammer, 1995, 58 min., ColorInnovative, funny, and historic, TENDER FICTIONS is an autobiographical exploration of the search for and meaning of gay community. From a childhood ...

Tomboys!A film by Julie Akeret and Christian McEwen, 2004, 28 min., ColorAre tomboys tamed once they grow up? This lively and inspiring documentary explodes that archaic myth with the stories of proud tomboys of all ages: A...

TreyfA film by Alisa Lebow and Cynthia Madansky, 1998, 55 min., ColorTREYF —“unkosher” in Yiddish— is an unorthodox documentary by and about two Jewish lesbians who met and fell in love at a Passover “seder”. With perso...

2 Or 3 Things But Nothing for SureA film by Tina DiFeliciantonio and Jane C. Wagner, 1997, 12 min., ColorAcclaimed author Dorothy Allison (BASTARD OUT OF CAROLINA) is profiled in this moving, inspiring film. Combining poetic imagery with powerful readings...

UnboundA film by Claudia Morgado Escanilla, 1994, 19 min., ColorUNBOUND is a docudrama in which sixteen women of differing nationalities, races and ideologies free themselves from societal definitions, stereotypes-...

Voices Heard Sisters UnseenA film by Grace Poore, 1995, 75 min., ColorVOICES HEARD SISTERS UNSEEN is a powerful and inspirational videotape showing how survivors of domestic violence are working to change the way the sys...

War on LesbiansA film by Jane Cottis, 1992, 32 min., ColorWAR ON LESBIANS is a witty critique of the invisibility of positive images of lesbians and a satire of talk show television and radio self-help progra...

The Wash: A Cleaning StoryA film by Eve Sandler, 1999, 9 min., ColorWritten, directed and produced by Eve Sandler, THE WASH is an autobiographical video narrative. This painterly work, which was shot in Hi-8, closely ...

WavelengthsA film by Pratibha Parmar, 1997, 15 min., ColorWAVELENGTHS explores the time honored quest for love and human intimacy in the polished world of computers and the Internet. Set in gay bars, dreams,...

Witches, Dykes, Faggots and PooftersA film by Digby Duncan, 1979, 45 min.In medieval times, nonconformists were labeled witches and burned at the stake. This important film makes links the social and political oppression o...

Women Organize!A film by Joan E. Biren, Union Institute Ctr. for Women & Women and Organizing Documentation Project, 2000, 32 min., ColorWOMEN ORGANIZE! is an inspirational, half hour video that portrays women organizers across the U.S. who are involved in the global struggles for racia...

The Works of Sadie BenningA film collection by Sadie Benning, 1989, 68 min., Color/BWAt age 15, Sadie Benning began using a toy video camera to produce these frank, funny and remarkably self-aware missives about growing up lesbian. Ma...

If you feel like reading more about each film go here and in Subject select Lesbian to have the complete list and links to full information about each film.